San Fran Anniversary Dinner
 

Need suggestions for Anniversary dinner in San Francisco. It will be our 1st night ever in the city... willing to pay extra for gorgeous views and/or romantic atmosphere. Like pretty much all kinds of food.

I have heard that Gary Danko is to die for.. I can't wait to go sometime this year but everyone that I know just loves it..
garydanko.com

We tried to get into Gary Danko's on a Sat. night but were put on a wait list. We didn't get a call, so decided on Boulevard which was very good. :)

I've heard great things about Fifth Floor and Aqua also. We had a nice dinner at Farallon last June, also. Request a table in the main pool room if you decide on Farallon. Cheers! ***kim*** ((#))

what's more important to you: food or views?

julius castle (on telegraph hill) has amaazing views of north beach and the food is pretty good. get a table by the window for a very romantic dinner. somewhat expensive, but not on the gary denko scale.

Anybody been to Equinox? Rotating restaurant... can you see anything during dinner when it's dark outside?

(It's on top of Hyatt Embarcadero)

We made our reservation far in advance, and had an 8:00 PM seating - an unforgetable meal --my only regret we did not leave room for a cheese course -- a close second would be the French Laundry - that's a distance --
A place that gets very good reviews is, Jardiniere, and reservations can be made @ www.opentable.com.
For another more casual evening, we booked on line, Grand Cafe-Geary Street - wonderful food, service, making for a special evening.

Can someone give me an idea of what the experience would be like at Gary Danko's...I looked at the website..would just like to hear someone's description...basically, what makes it so great?

Thanks!

Try going to Yelp.com. This is a great way to see what others think of almost any place in a number of cities-SF mainly.

Danko's has one of the best and excellently-priced tasting menu in San Francisco. The service is one of the best that I've experienced - efficient, courteous, timely and never over-bearing.
If you ever decide to go, mention that it's an anniversary dinner during your reservation (and during the confirmation call) just so you can avail of pleasant surprises during your dinner.

However, in all the times that we've dined there, I find the ambiance slightly more businesslike than romantic. Also, you will not find any view that you are seeking for in your dinner. But, it's nothing that the very good dishes and excellent service cannot compensate for.

On the other hand, i've eaten once at the Carnelian Room in the Financial District (California Street). I'm not totally impressed with the decent food (especially for the price), but the panoramic view of the city and overall ambiance is romantic.

The Dining Room at the Ritz has one of the best rooms, for amn anniversary-type dinner, in the city. Very dishes by Ron Siegel (formely of Masa's) complements the beautiful ambiance. Very expensive.

We are just mainstream world tourists, but BIL is a native SF'can (a Lilienthal if anyone remembers their contributions to the city), and he still functions as the food/wine person at Minneapolis Magazine in his spare (avocational) time.
Gary Danko is always on their recommended list.
We had dinner at Aqua a couple of years ago next to a SF couple celebrating their anniversary with the "tasting menu" and matching wines - that was great and we were sorry we didn't do same.
In Mar and Apr going to and returning from China, Scoma's, Osteria and Firenze were fine.
Buen viaje y Buen Provecho.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

Jardiniere is very good and has a nice romantic atmosphere, but, alas, no view. Gary Danko's should be very good.

You might look at the restaurant reviews at sfgate.com - I find them very reliable.

Gary Danko's is one of my favorites. It is more reasonably priced than some of the other flash places in town (Aqua, Micheal Mina etc.)

The service is excellent very understated. I like it because it's a relatively small restaurant and has an intimate feeling. The menu is set up in a very flexible way...you can order as you like and they'll size appropriately. I wouldn't call it businesslike.

Farallon is very lovely, I'd recommen it if you're looking for seafood, it is consistently. Perhaps a little cheaper too.

Recently we ate at Masa's and had an excellent meal. It's one of the most formal places in SF and perhaps the only place in town when gentelmen are required to wear a jacket.

I haven't been there in years but I agree the Carnelian Room has great views...however with all the fog we get here you may not see anything at all!

Fleur Du Lys is a popular local choice. Very upscale and formal with a very romantic interior.

I'd check out all of the websites for the individual places and I second the recommendation of sfgate.com . You could also look at the website for SF Magazine - sorry I can't remember it.

Hope this helps!

I'll third the SF gate website. It's a great resource for dining and other city "stuff". :-)

billboy, we had lunch at The Terrace at the Ritz a few days ago. The hotel is just amazing and the service is outstanding. We dined out on the patio with the fountain, very nice. We would love to try The Dining Room for dinner sometime. I've heard great things about it as far as food and ambiance. ***kim*** ((*))

So droll (but understandable considering the source) when someone can't get into a restaurant but suggests it and talks of dining at a hotel's restaurant and even lingers around the property all day but doesn't stay there...pathetic. San Francisco is known for fabulous restaurants but you must choose between the fabulousness of the view or the food. Fleur De Lys is one of the most romantic spots in the city with incredible French cuisine. It's the perfect choice. www.fleurdelyssf.com/

Michael Mina is a wonderful dining experience. I have eaten at Danko and Fifth Floor and Aqua and Fleur du Lys and think it blows them away. That said it does not have any views and is in Union Square. Also in Union Sq. and more reasonably priced is Farallon--wonderful decor.

I'd vote for Fleur de Lys without a doubt. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is extremely romantic. The room is quiet and draped with gorgeous fabric. Check out photos in the Gallery on the website. (Actually, they hardly do the decor justice.) Gary Danko is a wonderful restaurant as well. But when you looked at that website, did it strike you as romantic decor? The San Francisco Chronicle called Fleur de Lys the most romantic space in the city. They rated Gary Danko not quite so high on the food and noisier than Fleur de Lys.
Have a fabulous anniversary and have a fabulous time in one of the most romantic cities on earth!

Several restaurants mentioned above have wonderful food, but you are also looking for a romantic atmosphere, which has a lot to do with decor and service. In that case, I would go along with the recommendations for either Fleur de Lys or The Fifth Floor. One other restaurant not mentioned above, which I have enjoyed, is Silks. If you go there, request one of three recessed, semicircular booths - very private and romantic.

I think Fleur de Lys sounds really good and a nice combination of what we are looking for. I will try to reserve soon...Open Table says its too early now for 8/1. I'm guessing maybe the limit is 8 weeks prior to the date...its a Tuesday, so hopefully it will not be that difficult. Thank you everyone.